Case studies of copying and appropriation

There are eight case studies in this section. The first five are of key copyright infringement actions that have been commenced in the Australian court system. It should be noted that most disputes of this kind are not pursued to the point of litigation because there are a number of impediments to commencing this type of action, including the time and expense involved.

The final three case studies are of other actions that have been brought against people who have been accused of exploiting Indigenous art, culture and people. In case study 6 the defendant was charged under the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). In case studies 7 and 8, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission brought actions against companies on the basis that they infringed the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).